Experts believe it could be years before the missiles are fully operational

There
are potential future hot spots for military conflict all over the
world, with China being high on the list. Since the days of WWII, the
U.S. Navy has had the clear superiority in surface ship warfare in
the waters in and around China, but the Chinese have a new missile
system that could cause the U.S. to rethink its plans for any future
conflicts in the area.Newsroom
America reports
that China has a new
missile known as the DF-21 that has reached its "initial
operational capability" (IOC). The IOC milestone for the Chinese
weapon system means that the design has been settled on but the
system will continue to be refined according to military
experts.

Admiral Robert F. Willard, commander of the U.S.
Pacific Command told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, "An analogy
using a Western term would be 'initial operational capability (IOC),'
whereby I think China would perceive that it has an operational
capability now, but they continue to develop it. I would gauge it as
about the equivalent of a U.S. system that has achieved IOC."

The
missile can be launched from land and is capable of striking surface
vessels that are moving, with enough force to destroy a U.S.
supercarrier with one hit.

A U.S. Naval Institute report
from last year said of the missile system, "The size of the
missile enables it to carry a warhead big enough to inflict
significant damage on a large vessel."

The missile is
launched from land, soars into the atmosphere, and then uses a
complex guidance system combined with maneuverability and a low radar
signature to evade defensive weapons and hit moving targets. So far,
the U.S. has not detected over-the-surface tests of the missile on
moving targets.

Despite the continued growth of the Chinese
military and the new weapons system, DailyMail
reports
that the Chinese military still maintains that it is no
threat to countries in its region. The missile would be guided by
an interwoven system of UAVs, submarines, and satellites to its
target.

Chinese military spokesperson Jiang Wu said, "I
can say that China pursues a defensive national policy. ... We pose
no threat to other countries. We will always be a force in
safeguarding regional peace and stability."

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